Graduate Admissions

Permit to Register

Permit to Register admission may be granted on a one-term-only basis to applicants with incomplete applications for graduate admission, upon presentation of evidence of an earned baccalaureate degree with an acceptable grade point average and with approval from the College of Education.

Admission as a Permit to Register student does not carry with it permission to register as a degree applicant, and is valid for one semester only. Therefore, registration beyond the initial semester requires the submission of a regular graduate admission application, the processing fee, official transcripts and a graduate degree-level admission decision from the academic unit to which you applied.

Admission as a graduate Permit-to-Register student does not obligate Wayne State University to accept the applicant in the future for a graduate degree, nor is there any assurance that credit earned in this status will be accepted toward a graduate degree.

A graduate Permit to Register will be issued to an applicant only if:

The college/department is not able to process a regular application in time for the start of the requested semester

The applicant is not currently eligible for a regular admission to the requested program or regular non-degree status

The applicant has no intention of pursuing a degree program, but would like to take a class for personal enrichment

Note: Students are ineligible for financial aid under a Graduate Permit to Register.

Download the Graduate Permit to Register, attach a transcript with a posted baccalaureate degree and final cumulative GPA, and present the completed permit and transcript to a College of Education official for review. Departmental approval is required for Permit to Register admission, which is normally obtained from a faculty member in the program area. For more information or approval, contact a Graduate Academic Services Officer at (313) 577-1605.

If approved, the completed permit, transcripts, and fee payment (a check or money order made payable to Wayne State University for $50.00) must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

Graduate Non-Degree Admission

An applicant who wishes to take graduate courses but does not wish to be in a degree program may request admission on a non-degree basis. The eligible applicant will be admitted to a particular college but not to an individual major program. In most instances, a non-degree student may, with the department's approval, register for any courses for which he/she has the necessary preparation.

The applicant must clearly state the reason(s) for seeking non-degree admission in the statement of educational objectives (or the personal statement). Applications submitted without a clear reason for seeking this classification will be denied.

The applicant for a non-degree graduate classification is cautioned that only one semester of full-time graduate study, or part-time registrations not to exceed nine credits, are normally permitted in this classification. Beyond these limits, registration as a non-degree student requires the approval of the Graduate Officer of the student's college. Not more than 9 credits, subject to the approval of the Graduate Officer, may be applied at a later date toward the resident and credit requirements for either the Master's or Ph.D. degree. For the Ed.D. degree, credit earned beyond the nine credit limitation will be reviewed by the appropriate Division and the Education Graduate Officer for possible application towards the degree.

There is no assurance that credits earned while holding a non-degree classification will be acceptable in a degree program, or that prerequisites may not have to be specified if the student later becomes a degree applicant.

Depending on previous degrees, applicants may request admission to one of the following Graduate Non-Degree classification:

Pre-Master's

Post-Master's

Post-Doctoral

Note: Students are ineligible for financial aid under Non-Degree Admission.

Application Process

Applicants not previously enrolled at Wayne State University Graduate School are required to submit an Application for Graduate Admission and all official transcripts from each college or university (undergraduate and graduate) attended to the University Admissions Office (see address below). A transcript is considered official only if it is sent directly from the institution where the work was completed and bears an official seal. Transcripts mailed to the student are not considered official, even if sealed in a separate envelope. The Application for Graduate Admission is only available online from the Office of Graduate Admissions.

A graduate student in good standing with the Wayne State University Graduate School should file a Change of Status Application in the Division of Academic Services, Room 489, College of Education. Official transcripts of all college level work, both undergraduate and graduate, may be required; if so, they should be mailed directly to the Division of Academic Services, Room 489, College of Education by the institution where the applicant was enrolled. The Change of Status Application is available online or on the campus of Wayne State University in Room 489, College of Education.

The University Office of Admissions will make every effort to process the application in time for the semester of the applicant's choice. Applications are reviewed by the Graduate Education Office, College of Education, Room 489 to insure that they are complete. Only those applications which are received by the Graduate Education Office by the application deadline noted below will be reviewed for the approaching semester. Late applications will be considered for the next semester's class.